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Gnoll Clans
right Gnolls and their clan-based socio-political hierarchies are well established in all areas of Norrath. As Pearl Honeywine states in her study on the habitat, social structure and culture of gnolls in the Antonican region, gnolls have a tribal society: "gnoll is part of a pack, which are more akin to large family units. A gnoll pack shares characteristics ranging from fur patterns to intellect." A gnoll clan is the dominant gnoll pack that other gnoll packs are either subordinate to or work directly with. Example: both the Darkpaw pack and the Sabertooth pack are within The Sabertooth Clan, since the Sabertooth pack is dominant. Only one known clan consists of just one pack, the Splitpaw. To continue with the words of Pearl Honeywine, "A gnoll pack may specialize in a particular area such as foraging, pillaging, tunneling, etc. They are content to avoid other packs to concentrate on maintaining their pack's current territories. They will make an exception to band together against non-gnolls, even when such groupings include other species entirely, such as orcs, trolls and ogres." From this we learn that the strength of the gnolls lies in their sheer numbers. With such a large population to pull from, a clan has much utility and as such is a dangerous foe in battle and extremely difficult to thwart. Below are the known gnoll clans and packs on Norrath. For more information on gnollish society, read Know Your Gnolls, Basic Mining Guide, Part One, Basic Mining Guide, Part Two, visit Blackburrow, and complete the Blackburrow Timeline. Sabertooth Clan The Sabertooth are rulers of the gnoll-den of . Included in their clan are the following packs: Faction-bound *Darkpaw - Surface-dwellers found in many parts of . *Timberclaw - Forest-dwellers found in Archer's Wood of . *Dankfur - Usually found near water, specifically the islands off the southern coast of . *Cavemaw - Cave-dwellers found in the Gnoll Caves of Antonica's central mountain range. *Skindancer - Surface-dwellers that inhabit the Shrine of Decay in the southwest of . For this fact, it is suspected that they are worshipers of Bertoxxulous. Not Faction-bound *Dustpaw - Cave-dwellers that live in The Caves beneath Qeynos; receives arms from the Sabertooth. *Mudpaw - Cave-dwellers that live in The Caves beneath Qeynos; receives arms from the Sabertooth. *Rockpaw - Cave-dwellers that live in The Caves beneath Qeynos; recives arms from the Sabertooth. Confirmed to be higher in the Sabertooth clan hierarchy than the Dustpaw or Mudpaw packs. *Bloodtooth - Little is known of the Bloodtooth pack, other than they are surface-dwellers found around The Mirror in The Thundering Steppes. Due to their small numbers and proximity to Sabertooth-controlled areas, it is assumed that they are part of the Sabertooth clan regardless of the fact that killing them doesn't affect Sabertooth faction reputation. Splitpaw Clan The Splitpaw gnolls were the first gnolls created by Brell Serilis, within the lair that bears their clan's name. They were the largest clan on Norrath until The Rending destroyed most of Splitpaw Lair. They were one of the two main belligerents in the conflicts of Splitpaw Saga, the other being the Underpaw. In the current day, they continue to rule the upper reaches of Splitpaw Lair. They are the only clan that is composed of a single pack. It is for this reason that they have a very rigid caste system, with titles indicating both class and rank. Underpaw Clan Largest, fiercest and most intelligent of the gnoll clans, the Underpaw rule the bottom levels of Splitpaw Lair. They claim to be the true 'first-clan' of Brell Serilis, and this coupled with a territory dispute, led to conflicts with the Splitpaw during the events of Splitpaw Saga. Just like the Splitpaw, they are caste-oriented. However, it is unknown if their clan is also made up of one pack, since no reputable source can conduct a survey on them without falling victim to their paranoid isolationism. Anaz Mal These are the surface-dwelling Gnolls of Blackfang These are the cavern-dwelling Gnolls of The Silent City underneath the . They frequently dress in the mummy wrappings found within the Silent City, but the gnolls themselves are very much alive. Sareth'Tal The Sareth'Tal were a tribe of agrarian gnolls, completely peaceful, living in the area known as the Loping Plains. Then the Dwarven King, Stormhammer, sent an expeditionary force to establish military outposts and mining operations. The Sareth'Tal complained but took no hostile action, having no military. The brigade commander, Ranthok Redbeard, received orders from the King to negotiate a settlement with the gnolls but, instead, he ordered his troops to massacre the Sareth'Tal. In his anger, Brell released the Avatar of Below, destroying the dwarves. The ghosts of the Sareth'Tal and the Redbeard brigade soldiers can still be seen there where they fell. This act of Hate is the taint that haunts the Loping Plains. [1] Quaketail These are the gnolls currently resident in the once-dwarven city of Kaladim. They coexist with their fellow Serilians: the Goblins of Clan Boombottom, the Bugbears of the Terrok Clan, and the Kobolds of the Frothbark Pack. References 1. Dialog of Tanath L'Vec, from the quest A Hatred Repressed. Gnoll